This morning after dropping my daughter off at school, I took Tinker Mill Rd home. It's a nice little road with historic homes and this old mill. I came home to read up on it and I have a small complaint towards the Botetourt Historical Society, no offense to them but honestly there's not alot of information on their website regarding historical buildings in the area. I did manage to find this one article:
Nininger's Mill (Tinker Mill)...When Peter Nininger built this brick mill on Tinker Creek in 1847, he was continuing a milling tradition in Botetourt County that began with the county's first settlers. Besides the Pittsylvania-Franklin-Botetourt Turnpike, which connected the farmlands of western Virginia with bustling Southside markets, the mill operated for decades as a quasi-public utility, offering one of the rural economy's most important services. Like most of Virginia's old gristmills, Nininger's Mill was forced out of business because of an inability to compete with the modern milling complexes. The mill was converted to a restaurant in 1965, but some of the original machinery was preserved. The structure is now a private residence. A late 19th century overshot metal wheel remains in place on the north wall.
(taken from The Virginia Landmarks Register)
Your post says this is now a private residence....I just cannot imagine living in an old mill! It would be a different sort of home, that's for certain!
ReplyDeleteHello Tanya !
ReplyDeleteI live in a old farmer...
Brrr... For this bilding...
Nice photo, and pretty txt to explain...
See You later.
Does Roanoke still have that giant star up on the top of the mountain? I believe it is to the west.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing that when I was a kid visiting family there in 1977.
Wow! Has it been that long since I visited!?! I guess I better get back there.
Nice blog BTW... Keep up the great work.
Hey Eric, yes, the star is still here! It was built in 1949 to kick off the Christmas shopping season and Roanoke became known as "The Star City of the South"! I little tidbit of info I've read about it :) Amazing how time flies by isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteInteresting old building.
ReplyDeleteAt least you found something about the old mill. ;-) East Gwillimbury has a very small historical society and all the records are kept in someone's basement, I hear. Maybe some day the town will find a home for the collection? (Rumour has it that someone on council is working on it.)
un bel immeuble (et puis merci pour tous ces renseignements), il ne semble pas très bien entretenue, j'espère qu'il va y avoir une restauration.
ReplyDeletea beautiful building (and then thank you for this information), it seems not very well maintained, I hope there will be a restoration.
Interesting post Tanya. There's an interesting show on HGTV about old buildings that people renovate and live in them, can't think of the name of it now, sorry.
ReplyDeleteI think the Botetourt Historical Society doesn't put much stuff online because it has books to sell and doesn't want to give away the content. You should visit the museum in Fincastle and check out their books. The library in Fincastle also has a selection of history books you might find useful.
ReplyDeleteOh I do plan to visit there one of these days! There's alot of things I want to look up on the house.
ReplyDeleteA grand old brick building! Thanks for the information about it. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of potential in this building. I hope that they make best use of it.
ReplyDeleteTanya, you have history at every turn. This is a neat find.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like something out of an English fairy tale!
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of buildings... are simply beautiful...
ReplyDeleteOld buildings, especially in our home towns have so much meaning. We have an old bank building, restored and now used as a pub in Hamilton which was the very first bank in Hamilton dating from about the mid 1800's. The city isn't much older than that. - Dave
ReplyDeleteI had dinner at the mill a couple of times in 1970/71. It was a beautiful building with a lot of the old mill parts still on the lower level. I wish it were still a restaurant, but I hope it's being maintained.
ReplyDeletethank you for your input! what a great restaurant that would be...i'm going to have to drive by one day this week and see how it's doing! :)
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